A New Life Vol 2, Chapter 1
by Kage-sama
Summary: the plot thickens...


Nicky Townsend (battousai@licensedtokill.com) 

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro. The song "A New Life" belongs to the two brilliant minds that make up the Pet Shop Boys. 

This story is also based loosely on "Careful Destiny", a Ranma fanfic by Todd Hill, who is also my very good friend ^_^ 

Hiko, this story arc is for you! 

~*~*~ 

A New Life: Volume 2 Chapter 1 

~*~*~ 

"Did you get what you want? Do you know what it is? Do you care?" 

"I don't know you want, but I can't give it anymore." The Pet Shop Boys 

~*~*~ 

"Your majesty, why am I here again?" Nicky stood once again in the Heavenly Throne room. The ambiguously sexed Being that ran Things eyed Nicky in a way that worried her to no end. 

"I want another progress report, of course. If you'd report regularly on your own, I wouldn't have to snatch you away like that." The gleam in It's eyes only increased with every word. 

Nicky snapped the heels of her high black boots together, and saluted smartly. "Yes, your Majesty!" She was not entirely able to keep the sarcasm out of her tone, and before the Being could say anything, she proceeded with her report. 

"They've made up, your Majesty. Kaori also knows now who Kevin really is, or more accurately, who he was. Everything is fine." Nicky secretly wished that it were possible to lie to It. She knew that It couldn't exactly read her thoughts, but once her thoughts were spoken, It always knew if they were true or not. Nicky shook her head sadly; she had a feeling she knew what was coming. 

As she had expected, a gleeful smile twisted the Being's face. "Goodie! Now the fun can begin in earnest!" It seemed to almost bounce in place on It's throne. 

Nicky clenched her jaw, and muttered just loud enough to be heard, "Fun, my ass." 

The Being looked at her sharply, but ignored her comment. "This will be your real test. If you can get them through what's coming up, you are free for reincarnation." 

Arching an eyebrow, "And what's coming up, if you don't mind my asking?" Nicky asked dryly. 

"I certainly do mind!" The Being snapped back at her. It sat back on It's throne and seemed to puff Itself up for a moment, before It leaned forward, It's eyes gleaming brightly. "But I'm in a good mood right now, so I'll give you a hint. Some of Kenshin's 'old friends' will be showing up soon." 

Nicky's eyes widened, cold washing over her. "...Which 'old friends'?" 

Once again the Being sat back, this time smirking. "That's for me to know, and for you to find out. But really, I'm not so mean that I'd just throw him to the wolves without any help at all...And you'll recognize your help when you see it. He hasn't changed one bit, and he's just as hard to miss as he ever was..." The Being shook It's head. "Anyway, that's all. You may go now." 

Nicky saluted again, purposely over-exaggerating the gesture, and let herself dematerialize once more. 

~*~*~ "I feel so extraordinary, Something's got a hold on me, I get this feeling I'm in motion, A sudden sense of liberty" 

--New Order ~*~*~ 

Kevin sat up in bed, as the morning sunlight filtered in shafts though his blinds. Dust motes swirled in the bits of light so that it appeared to sparkle. He stretched contentedly, his hands fisting in the air, and his back arched. A soft, contented smile graced his hansom face. 

It was real. All of it. Everything that had happened... A small shiver arched through Kevin's slender body. It also remembered very well what had happened. It remembered the feel of Kaori's soft skin, the silky texture of her hair, and most of all, and the wonderful erotic noises she had made when he touched her. He pulled in a deep lung full of air and let it out as a great sigh. 

But he could only linger in his bed for so long. Although it still smelled like Kaori, the special scent of Jasmine, and that -other- scent that was all hers, he had to part with it. He had to get ready for school so he could see the real thing. 

He smiled another contented smile, and went about his morning as usual. Although, now all the colors seemed to be a little brighter then before, and everything in life seemed peaceful for once. 

~*~*~ 

Kaori leaned comfortably against the plaster wall that lined the yards of their high school. Only several feet away, students swept through the open gate. Some of the students who knew Kaori stopped briefly to look, and could only wonder at her blissful expression. Shaking their heads, they continued on through the gate. 

But Kaori didn't notice anything. Her eyes had drifted shut, and she had become lost in wonderful memories of the day before. It was true. All of it was true! She'd never been so happy in her life. She felt so different inside...as if someone had lit a fire inside her, where previously, all had been dark and cold. And the thing that surprised her the most, is she hadn't realized -how- cold it had been without him. 

Somehow sensing that the warmth that was Kevin was approaching her, she opened her eyes again, and greeted him with a smile. "Good morning. How are you today?" Kaori asked teasingly. 

He nodded, and offered a lopsided grin. "I've never been better." 

Kaori arched an eyebrow at that, and replied, "I'll bet." Reaching for his hand, she twined her fingers with his affectionately. "Let's get to class, okay? I have a feeling today will be an interesting day!" 

~*~*~ 

As they turned the last corner and down the hall that led to their class room, a man stood outside the class greeting the students. He was a large man, easily over six and a half feet tall. Long black hair fell over the man's extremely broad shoulders, and over his white linen jacket. At that moment, he turned his head to look in their direction. The tall man smilled at them, his white teeth flashing. 

Kevin gasped suddenly, his body gone stiff. Very slowly, he turned around and walked back in the direction they had come from, and around the corner, out of sight. Kaori stood befuddled where he had left her. Shaking her head, she quickly went after him, to find him kneeling on the floor, his face a ghastly shade of white. 

Alarmed at his pallor, Kaori kneeled next to him. "Kevin...what's wrong? Are you sick?" 

Kevin drew a shaky breath, before speaking. "Did you recognize him?" he asked hesitantly, peering up at her threw a fringe of flame colored bangs. 

Even more confused then before, "Should I have?" Her eyebrows knit together in worry. 

"That...that was...that was Shishou..." 

"Shishou...your master? You mean -HIKO-? You're kidding, right?" Kaori shook her head slowly, making her disbelief plain. 

Kevin nodded, his expression grim. "That's gotta be him." 

"Actually, yes, that is your master." Kaori and Kevin both looked up abruptly to find Nicky standing very close to them. 

"NICKY-SAN? Where did you come from? How do you know...?" Kaori's confusion and disbelief only continued to grow. 

Nicky only smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "Kevin didn't tell you the whole story, it seems. The Creator sent him directly here from his past life. Since he didn't have the luxury of growing up in this time, he needed someone to guide him, and that someone is me." 

Kaori blinked a few times before stammering, "Your saying... you work for God?" 

"That is a gross oversimplification, but accurate enough, I suppose. Anyway, I'm sure you'll be caught up in everything too, so you might as well listen to what I have to say. Kevin; I just made another progress report. It's at it again." Nicky spoke her last sentence softly, and shook her head, sadness evident in her posture. 

"At it again?" Kevin repeated slowly, as if letting the words roll around in his head. "You mean the cosmic dog has found it's favorite chew toy again?" Bitterness dripped off his words as he spoke. 

"That attitude doesn't suit you at all, you know." Nicky pointed out before continuing. "However, I do have some good news. The Creator said that It wasn't going to throw you to the proverbial wolves without any help. I expect that your help is standing in front of your classroom door as we speak." 

"On the downside-" Worry had slowly crept into Nicky's expression as she spoke, her eyebrows knit together. "- I have a feeling, that if the Creator feels that you need help, that last time is going to seem like child's play." 

"What do you mean, 'last time'? 'Chew toy'? -What- is going on here?" Kaori demanded, her voice harsh. She looked back and forth between Kevin and Nicky, waiting for an explaination. 

Nicky sighed deeply, shaking her spiky blonde head. "Unfortunately, the Creator is not the benevolent being that most religions make It out to be. From what was explained to me, it seems that there is not one Creator; there is one for every planet in the Universe that has life. Some of them are better then others. The one that Earth has happens to dislike this planet, and it's inhabitants. It picks 'favorites' and plays with them. Kevin, and to some extent, you and myself as well, are 'favorites'. Our Being doesn't even go to the Mellinium Meetings, because It doesn't care." 

Kaori's face went as white as a sheet. "That's awful...But what happened 'last time'?" 

Nicky laughed bitterly. "Remember your fight? And Sam? First of all, not only was Sam someone from Kevin's past, but also Kenshin's past as well. I'm amazed you didn't recoginze him-- Kaoru." 

Kevin eyes widened. "So that -was- him!" 

"Sanosuke? Yes, that was him. Strange how things turn out sometimes isn't it? Anyway, the Creator engineered that whole thing, just to see how you two would respond." 

"I'm still confused." Kaori spoke up. "I see how we are being played with, but you...?" 

"Oh believe me, I've got it much worse. It's just I've been doing it so long, that it doesn't really matter anymore. You see, as I explained to Kevin not too long ago, being a Heavenly Guide is not a reward. It's a penance served for commiting a sin." 

Momentarily taken aback, Kaori could only stammer out "What in the world did you do?" 

"That's a long story, and one I don't feel like telling." A bit of coldness had sneaked into Nicky's voice. Quickly changing the subject, Nicky looked at her wrist watch. "Class is going to start any minute. We'd better get to our seats." 

~*~*~ 

From around the corner and one corridor down, a girl, perhaps Kaori's senior by a year, listened with rapt attention. 

Her hair was a medium brown, and she wore it in a bun. Her lips were rouged in an odd shade of dark green, and just to left of her lower lip was a small black beauty mark. Her eyes were remarkable because they glittered with shrewd intelligence. Even now, this girl, no, young woman, was planning her next move. 

Very shortly, Shiro-sama would be getting his parole. Everything needed to be ready by then, her research finished. She'd thought herself done, when that boy showed up, and changed Kaori overnight. Where before she had been withdrawn almost of the point of being antisocial, now she had emerged with the beauty of a butterfly leaving its cacoon. The change had been subtle before today; now she veritably glowed. 

It was that boy...Kevin Hannah. The foreigner. What was so special about him that he could perform such a miracle? That girl didn't deserve to be happy. After all, her happiness had been stolen from her, why should Kaori deserve anything? Anger momentarily marred the young woman's beautiful face. 

But everything would work out. She would make -sure- it did. 

~*~*~ 


End file.
